[wurzelrob70]

Hi all, we have recently taken on an allotment after some success in a small plot in the garden last year, and have decided to grow onions from seed this year. We sowed them about 3 weeks ago and most have germinated on a table under to a south facing window next to a heater. The problem is some of the seedlings have fallen over and gone brown and died. Do you think they may not be getting enough light or could it be too warm for them where they are?

I have bought one of the plastic mini greenhouses to go in the back garden but am not sure if it is still too cold to put them out there yet as it gets down to freezing most nights lately.

Please can you help, any info would be gratefully recieved.

P.s We have also started off our leeks in the same place and am worried they may go the same way

Cheers Rob

[shaun]

have a look HERE for growing from seed rob,ventilation and a nice steady temperature  are the main points,as for the mini greenhouse its just too cold for them

[gobs]

Probably damping of fungal disease, too wet and in this case also prob too warm.

Not late to resow, keep away from radiator and only water if dry.

[wurzelrob70]

Thanks guys, most sites I have seen have about 1 sentence about growing from seeds and then go into growing from sets so your help has been great. I will try your recommendations but think I will probably back that up by buying some sets as well (just in case).
Once again thanks for your help.

[compostqueen]

I germinated mine in the house in Jan and kept them in the greenhouse only when sunny, bringing them back in at night.  

They're now out in the greenhouse, inside a plastic growhouse. I keep a Tiny paraffin heater in there and an electric heater on the frost stat setting
They seem to be doing fine. Lack of ventilation can be a problem so I have the heater on vent mode to keep the air moving as last year many of my seedlings were killed off or failed to germinate which meant I had to re-sow.

You can grow pickling onions direct in the lotty or garden soil but it's best left til March.  I had a fine crop of Marshalls brown pickling onions last year  

[richyrich7]

Watering with cheshunt compound at sowing will help prevent damping off disease